Delaware therapist pleads no contest to child rape charges

A Delaware therapist, John Ervin Arnold, has pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree rape of a 5-year-old relative. He previously faced first-degree rape charges but accepted a plea deal to avoid trial. Prosecutors seek a 20-year prison sentence. Arnold, who used fake degrees to work in schools, was arrested after the child disclosed the abuse at a summer camp. He had counseled children at Mount Pleasant and Lombardy elementary schools since 2021, but no evidence linked him to abuse of students. An investigation revealed Arnold's fraudulent credentials, leading to scrutiny of the certification process. Several school officials faced disciplinary actions, including one firing, for mishandling complaints about Arnold's qualifications before his arrest.